Rising From the Ashes
by Pharaoh'sJewel
Summary: Seto Kaiba loves his brother, but his busy lifestyle prevents him from spending as much time with him as he should. Can the hired help give Mokuba the attention that he needs? Can she survive dealing with Seto Kaiba? SetoxOC
1. A Walk In the Park

_A/N: Hey guys! This is the first story I've written after going on a seriously long hiatus a few years ago. I didn't think I'd be writing again, but I've been reading way too many fanfictions __not to. So yeah, this is a SetoxOC fic; don't like, don't read. Please read and review! This is my first story after a while so I want to make sure that it's worth the time. Please send encouragement and constructive critisism my way! :)_

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! but i wish i did. =/_

* * *

**Rising From the Ashes**

Seto Kaiba loved his little brother. Really, he did. But today, he was being extremely bothersome.

They were in Seto's office on the fiftieth floor of Kaiba Corp, facing each other. Seto was focused on his laptop and work. Mokuba had come to visit him after school that day to talk to him. It was unusual for the boy to come to the office on a weekday, especially right after school. Set's first thought was that something had happened to Mokuba. So he asked him whether or not there was something wrong.

"Nope!" was the boy's chipper reply.

Seto's second thought was _He's up to something._

His thoughts were confirmed when the boy sat heavily on the chair in front of Seto's desk and sighed loudly. Mokuba opened his mouth to speak, but Seto knew what was coming.

"No." he said.

Mokuba's jaw dropped. "No what? You don't even know what I'm going to say!"

Seto chuckled softly. "But I do, which is why I said no."

"You knew I was going to ask you for a dog?" he asked incredulously.

Seto sighed as he looked to his brother. Mokuba Kaiba was now face to face with him, his hands on the ornately decorated Oriental oak desk and his legs standing on what had been a spotless chair just a moment ago. The younger Kaiba's boyish face was scrunched in a grimace that can only be associated with childhood. He glared at his beloved older brother.

"Well then, why not?" the younger Kaiba questioned.

"Mokuba, we are _not_ getting a dog!"

"How 'bout a cat?"

"No."

"What about—"

Seto sighed and leaned back into his black swivel chair. "We're not getting any animals that can't be contained in a sealed tank." He replied. "And that includes reptilian beasts." He added, seeing Mokuba's expression.

The boy sat down properly on the chair he had been standing on. "Why can't I have any pets, Seto?"

"You know very well why not."

Mokuba pondered this. "Fine. So what does that leave me with?"

Seto shrugged and looked at his laptop. "Probably some fish."

"Ugh. I hate fish."

Seto didn't respond. He was completely focused on work again, and it seemed as though nothing could break his concentration. His blue eyes scanned several lines of text on the screen before he began to type aggressively. _Incompetency. Must I do everything by myself?_ His long fingers flew across the keyboard, trying to type as fast as its owner's mind was working.

Mokuba peeked through his long raven colored bangs to look at Seto. He truly admired him—he was the most focused, dedicated, and hard-working person he had ever met. _Maybe a bit __too__ hard-working. Seto never seems to have time for me anymore. I was hoping that getting a pet would maybe make him want to come home earlier and not work for so long._ Mokuba sighed inwardly. _Maybe it was just too much to hope for._ Mokuba watched Seto a bit longer before getting fed-up. It was time to take action. _I'm going to get Seto out of this office one way or another._

The younger Kaiba stood up suddenly and pounded a small fist on Seto's desk.

"We're going for a walk."

Seto looked up for a brief second. "A walk?"

"Yes. A walk. Outside. Now." He replied, running over to him and tugging on a sleeve. "Come on!"

"Mokuba, can't you see I'm busy?" he asked incredulously, shooing his brother away.

Mokuba looked down sadly. "You never spend time with me anymore." He whispered.

The typing stopped. The young boy had cleverly played the trump card. He knew that his brother wouldn't be able to ignore him now.

Seto looked intently at his brother's sullen form. It _was _true—he didn't spend nearly as much time with Mokuba as he probably should. _The kid's probably lonely._

He sighed and stood, closing his laptop and grabbing his blazer.

Mokuba looked up in anticipation.

"Let's go." Seto said.

Mokuba grinned widely and all but ran to his brother's side in excitement. _Finally!_

Employees of Kaiba Corporation gawked in wonder as they witnessed their boss leaving his office in the middle of the day. Seto sent them icy glares, which promised instantaneous unemployment to the next person caught gaping at him. This one look alone made the employees scurry back into their original places and busy themselves with work. A few of them couldn't help but smile—Seto Kaiba _was_ human after all.

The Kaiba brothers walked down the long hallway—Seto taking determined strides, and Mokuba sometimes jogging to keep up. They stopped at an elevator at the end of the hall. Mokuba pressed the down button as Seto pulled out his Blackberry and dialed the chauffeur.

"Moore, be at the entrance in five minutes."

_-Ding-_

The elevator doors slid open and as its occupants came to realize who was standing before them, they jumped out, eagerly giving up their spots for the CEO and his brother. Mokuba smiled appreciatively, but Seto just rolled his eyes.

When they finally strode out the doors and slid into the sleek black KaibaCorp limo, Seto asked Mokuba where he wanted to go. Mokuba had to think for a minute. He was just so happy that he got Seto out of the office that he didn't think of _where _to go. "Um…maybe the park?"

Seto grimaced inwardly, but said nothing. "Domino Park, Moore."

They rode in silence, each one absorbed in his thoughts. Mokuba was trying to come up with different ideas to convince his brother to leave work at a reasonable hour while, ironically, Seto could think of nothing but work and the piles of paperwork that awaited him upon his return to the office. _I have three reports to approve or deny today before the employees leave. Knowing the goons who wrote the report, they're sure to have left countless errors that _I'm _going to have to fix. _Seto sighed._ I have all this work to do, yet here I am, going to the park for a walk._ At this, he glanced at Mokuba, who was watching the passing scenery. He sighed. _He was right. I don't spend as much time with him as I should. He shouldn't have to grow up in KaibaCorp—he should be with people who have time for him, people his age._

"Mr. Kaiba, we've arrived."

Seto looked outside. "I could have told you that myself, Moore." He said coolly.

"My apologies, sir."

The chauffeur came around and opened the door for the brothers. Seto stepped out first and was blinded by the sunlight. He didn't often step outside while the sun was still out; he woke up before dawn to go to work and returned home long past sundown.

Shielding his eyes, Seto surveyed the park. He had donated a generous sum for the development of this very park, but never actually set foot in it afterwards. It was a large expanse of land with winding bike routes, jogging trails, and walking paths. Although located in the middle of the city, the park had nice, healthy looking green grass, trees, and even a small lake. All in all, it was picturesque and a great place to spend the day—if you weren't Seto Kaiba, that is.

Mokuba pulled on Seto's arm and led him to a walking path. "This is the nicest trail, Seto! Let's walk on this one." Seto allowed himself to be pulled onto the walking path.

The two walked side by side on the trail, Mokuba chattering excitedly about school and Seto half-listening, half-observing. The park was actually quite relaxing. Mokuba seemed happy to be there and the people were so absorbed in their own activities to be nosy that Seto made a mental note to _maybe_ come back here again sometime. When he realized that there was nothing worthwhile to look at, Seto's mind drifted back to work-mode and he was lost in thought. His mind drifted back to the reports that were waiting for him.

"Seto!"

_I wonder how long I'm going to have to stay at work to correct the mistakes that are sure to be in those reports. Ugh. Why do I even have employees? They just make everything ten times—_

"Seto!"

Seto shook himself out of his reverie. "Hm?"

"Your phone is ringing." Mokuba said grouchily. Something told Seto that Mokuba had been trying to get his attention for a while already.

Seto picked up the phone. "Kaiba."

He waited for a response, but there was none. That was odd.

_Where's the idiot on the other line?_

_Wait. Where the hell is my phone?!_ Seto looked around wildly. The phone was gone!

"Seto!" Mokuba shouted, "that girl took your phone!" He pointed at a girl who was running away at top speed, clutching what looked like Seto's Blackberry in her hands.

At that moment, three burly men in black suits exploded from the bushes behind the Kaibas. 

_When did the body guards get here?_ Mokuba wondered, in awe of their stealth.

"We'll get 'er for ya, Mr. Kaiba." One of them said as they began to pursue the culprit.

Mokuba started to run after them, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Wait." Seto said, watching the men pursue the thief.

For men of their size, they were surprisingly agile and caught up to the girl in no time. One man grabbed the girl around the middle from behind and hauled her into the air.

"Hey!" she shouted. "What the hell? Let go of me!"

The one holding her chuckled. "No can do, thief. Yer gonna be placed under arrest."

She struggled against the man's vice-like grip. "You can't arrest me! You guys aren't even cops! Now let me _go!"_ she yelled, hitting the man wherever she could reach.

"Keep on trying, scrawny." The big man laughed.

"Oh, I'll show you scrawny!"

Needless to say, the little scene had attracted a lot of attention. People who usually minded their own business gathered around in curiosity, making a circle around the three body guards and the thief.

"Well, well, well." Seto smirked, his voice coming from outside the throng of people. "So this is the little girl who thought she was clever enough to steal from me."

The crowd gasped in amazement as they parted and allowed Seto and his brother to step through. What was Seto Kaiba doing in the park like a normal man?

Seto was just glad there were people around just so that he could make a public spectacle of this idiotic girl.

The body guard who held her swung her around quickly so that she can face Seto.

That was a mistake.

As she was being swung around, the girl's leg accidentally kicked the hand of the body guard who held the confiscated Blackberry. It flew into the air and despite several attempts to catch it, the expensive business phone fell to the ground and broke into several pieces. Everyone, including the girl, looked at the mangled device in horror.

"This keeps getting better and better for you, doesn't it?"

The girl looked up at Seto. Her face which had been nearly apologetic, was now scrunched up in distaste.

The body guard who had held the phone fumbled for words. "Mr. Kaiba…I…my apologies, sir—"

Seto held up a hand and looked at the thief, who glared back at him. Her amber eyes did not hide her annoyance at being caught. She glared unfalteringly at the CEO, eyes smoldering with nothing but anger and even hatred. Seto was not impressed. What right did this petty thief have to be glaring at _him_ like that?

"Let her down." Seto said.

The man put the girl down but did not let her go. Surprisingly, she didn't try to escape. Seto walked up to her, his arms folded and his face emotionless. "You stole my phone and broke it." He stated coldly, glaring at her with utter disdain.

The girl did not falter under Seto's harsh stare. "Yeah, so?" she asked, also folding her arms. "What are you going to do about it?"

"_I'm _not going to do anything. But _you_ are."

She stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"You will be paying for it."

The girl scoffed. "If I could afford to pay for it, I wouldn't have tried to _steal_ one."

"There are other methods of payment." Seto stated simply.

The crowd chuckled nervously.

"So what exactly are you suggesting?" the girl asked, unsure of Seto's intentions.

"You'll be working for me." Seto turned and beckoned to Mokuba. "You're going to be my brother's caretaker."

A ripple of disbelief ran through the crowd. Had Kaiba lost his mind? What was he _doing?_

The girl's eyes opened wide. "Wh…what?!"

"You heard me."

"Seto!" Mokuba cried. "Are you crazy? I don't need a babysitter! Especially not one like _her!"_

"The kid's right. Plus, I'm not going to work for you!"

Seto smirked. "I didn't ask for your input, you petty thief. But if you're sure, I'll just call up the police station right now and let them know of this little incident. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to lock you up."

"No!" she cried. She sighed in defeat and mumbled, "You win. I'll look after your brother."

"Good." Seto said. He took a business card out of his pocket. "Be at this address tomorrow at three fifteen sharp."

The girl took the card without looking at it and nodded numbly.

"Come on, Mokuba." Seto said as he turned heel and began walking back the way they came. Mokuba staggered after his brother; he was in shock—what had possessed his brother to hire this random girl? Never mind that; what was he doing hiring a _thief?_ What was going on? Mokuba looked back at the girl—his new caretaker—with confusion written on his face. He turned to look at Seto, who slid into the limo and waited for him. Mokuba sighed and wondered if he'd ever figure it out.

* * *

_Can't wait to see what happens next? Me neither! Please review and tell me if this is worth continuing. :)_


	2. Just My Luck

_Hey guys! Thanks so much for reviewing! I can't believe I got seven reviews for the first chapter! That's more than enough encouragement for me! Do me a favor and keep it up!! :)_

* * *

**Chapter 2: No Way **

Ana stomped up the stairs to her apartment angrily, grumbling incoherently as she pulled the keys out of the pocket of her jeans and fumbled with the lock. She threw open the heavy door with her shoulder and entered the small apartment, tossing her bag and keys on the table. The tension that had built up inside of her while she ran home from the park was finally released in the form of a mighty shout.

"WHY ME?!" she shouted to no one in particular. She collapsed into a tattered couch beside her and began pounding her head into the weathered cushions.

"What the hell?" called a voice from the kitchen.

Ana looked over. "Ugh, Lilah, I had the worst day!" she complained.

The pretty blonde smiled in sympathy as she stirred something in a metal saucepan. "You and me both, kid. I had the _worst_ hangover when I tried to wake up this morning. Good thing I slept it off."

Ana blinked. "You just got up?"

"Yeah." Lilah said, pulling two mugs from the cabinet.

Ana looked at the kitty clock that hung on the wall across from where she sat. It read five o'clock. "Typical. But didn't you have work today?"

Lilah shrugged. "I called in sick. It's okay!" she added, seeing Ana's expression. "Geez, you act like being a barista is a big deal. Though if I went, I would have enough coffee to drown my hangover with."

Ana laughed quietly. "I wish I had stayed home today. I definitely would have saved myself the embarrassment."

The blonde walked over to Ana, bearing coffee for each of them. "Here you go." She said and sat down on the couch. "What happened?"

Ana sighed and began relating her experience. She conveniently left out the part where she tried to steal the phone. Ana had looked away from Lilah, knowing that her amber eyes shone brighter than usual when she lied. She didn't see Lilah's eyes grow wider and wider and a smile grace her features. When Ana finished the story, Lilah exploded in laughter.

"Are you serious? Some jerk embarrassed you in public and then hired you to take care of his kid brother?" she laughed.

"Yes." Ana said with narrowed eyes.

"Kid, that's a little hard to believe. No one in their right mind would hire a random person off the street like that." Lilah said. She took a sip of coffee and ran a hand through her long, blonde hair. Ana touched her own short black hair, enviously eyeing her friend's long locks and wishing her own would grow at a remotely normal rate.

"Well, that's what happened. Take it or leave it." she said, folding her arms. Lilah set down her mug.

"Prove it."

"Prove it? Prove what?"

"Prove that this actually happened! I mean he must have told you _something_. Where are you supposed to meet him tomorrow? Did he leave an address, a phone number? Anything?" Lilah's eyes suddenly shone with excitement. "Maybe we can find out who he is!"

Ana suddenly jumped up from the sofa, spilling coffee from the mug she held and adding another stain to the old pink carpet. "Oops," she muttered absentmindedly as she set the mug on the coffee table. She skipped over to her bag and began to pull out various items from within its depths with vigor.

"What are you looking for?"

"Proof! He gave me his business card!"

Lilah blinked. "A business card?" She asked, watching Ana rummage through her belongings.

"Got it!" Ana exclaimed, bringing the token over to her friend. Lilah took the card and read it over several times, her face progressing from surprise to shock.

"Ana…have you…looked at this yet?"

Ana kicked her feet up onto the coffee table and sipped from the mug. "No why? I figured I'd Map Quest the directions tomorrow morning or something." She said nonchalantly. She looked over at her friend's stunned face. "Is…something wrong?"

Lilah glared at her friend incredulously and thrust the card into the girl's face. "Read it. Then you'll see."

Ana wondered what could be so bad about what was written on the card. _It can't possibly be _that _bad._ She took the card and read it.

_KAIBA CORPORATION_

_SETO KAIBA, CEO_

_DOMINO HEADQUARTERS_

_700 KAIBACORP DRIVE_ _DOMINO, JAPAN_

Her heart stopped cold. "Wh…what's this? There has to be a mistake!" Ana sputtered.

Lilah smiled wryly and leaned against the couch. "No mistake. Seems like you'll be working for Mr. Kaiba now."

Ana stared at the card, clearly stunned while Lilah watched her pensively.

"I wonder why you didn't recognize him right away."

Ana shook her head, breaking out of her trance-like state. "You know I don't watch TV or read magazines much." She sighed. "I can't believe this!"

"Neither can I." Lilah said suspiciously.

Ana glanced over upon hearing the change of tone in her friend's voice. "Um…Lilah?"

Lilah narrowed her blue eyes and frowned. She leaned closer to Ana, who instinctively leaned away. "Ana, tell me the truth. What did you do to him?"

Ana stared at her friend in shock. _What the hell? When did she become so damn perceptive?_ She drew her legs in and hugged herself tightly. "What makes you think that I did something? I told you that I was just walking in the park."

"Because, Ana, billionaires don't go around hiring random people unless they either want something in return or they're blackmailing someone!" Lilah shouted. "What _didn't_ you tell me about your little walk in the park? What. Did. You. Do?"

Ana was glad she was facing away from Lilah. She was glad that her friend couldn't see the shock, guilt, and anger on her face right now. _Crap. There's no getting out of this now. I have to tell her the freaking truth.__Here goes nothing._

"I…uh…I took his cell phone." She mumbled, still not looking at Lilah. _Damn did it just get fifty degrees hotter in here? _She thought.

There was a tremendous silence.

Ana heard the tick-ticking of the kitty clock, the water dripping from the kitchen faucet, and the sounds of everyday life filtering in from slightly open window. She waited for her friend's reaction. _I wish she'd say something already! _

As if reading her mind, Lilah spoke. "_What the hell possessed you to steal a stranger's phone?!_" she shouted.

Ana didn't answer. She felt Lilah's eyes boring holes into her skull, demanding an explanation.

"Arianna."

She looked over quickly upon hearing her full name. _Oh crap. Definitely in for it now. _Lilah's blue eyes, which were still a bit red from her hangover, glared impatiently at Ana's amber ones.

"Y…yes?"

"Did you take your medication today?"

Ana tore her eyes away from Lilah's guiltily. "Um…not really."

Lilah stared in disbelief. "Not really? _Not really?!_" she jumped off the couch. "Ana you know how important it is to take your medicine! It's dangerous not to!"

Ana rolled her eyes. "Lilah, I have ADD not heart disease. Plus it's no big deal—I just forgot."

Lilah put her hands on her hips. "Ana, I'm serious. You need to take your meds everyday!" she shouted. Then in a quieter voice, "I know what you become when you don't."

Ana flinched at a distant memory and became angry. "Dammit, Lilah! You're not my freaking mother! Stop telling me what to do!"

Lilah blinked in surprise before her blue eyes were lit with fury. "Well, I'm sorry if I care about your well being and that of the people around you!"

"Ugh! Leave me alone!" Ana growled, exasperated. She grabbed her bag and stormed off to her bedroom, slamming the door. She leaned against the door and slid to the floor. She felt like throwing things around the room, but knew she had to keep calm. Ana looked around her small navy colored bedroom. There were many things on the floor—clothes, books, CDs, take out boxes. The clutter was doing nothing for her agitation or anger, so she closed her eyes and took calming breaths. _I know Lilah is just looking out for me, but I can take care of myself._

Ana got up and walked to her bed, moving the clothes and books that were on the cover to the desk beside it. Without changing her clothes, she slid into bed. Whenever she had a lot on her mind she liked to lie in bed and think about it, drawing comfort in being in a location where there were no distractions or people to judge her.

Suddenly the sound of horrible singing filled the apartment. Ana smirked. So much for no distractions. She knew Lilah was watching the TV on high volume just to spite her. _She knows I like to think about things when I'm in my room. It's only a matter of time before the landlord comes upstairs. _

She reached over to her bag and fished around for Kaiba's business card. She had quickly dropped it into the bag after her argument with Lilah, knowing she needed more time to think about the predicament she was in. Ana found the card and inspected it again. _Seto Kaiba, huh? _Ana suddenly felt a wave of dislike wash over her. This man thought he could do whatever he wanted with anyone and get away with it! Even blackmail! Granted, she wasn't about to go to the police to report him since he could just tell them how she tried to steal his phone. _To be honest, if I had known who he was, I probably wouldn't have taken the phone. _Ana sighed. _I couldn't resist. It was like being a kid again…back when I used to bother father's business associates by taking _their _phones. It was a game back then, with no consequences. But now…he's hired me to take care of his kid brother!_ Ana felt another wave of anger wash over her. _It's a good thing I like children, so the little kid is safe._ She thought maliciously. _But I'm sure as hell going to make Seto Kaiba's life a living hell for as long as I can._

_

* * *

_

oooo...hehe. well thanks for reading! please review!

**Note: I may be unable to update until February due to these horrid things called midterms. =/ Please tune back in around then, please!**


	3. Sloppy Firsts

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews!! Sorry for the late update! So many things got in the way! I hope this makes up for it! Please review! By the way, the title of this chapter is in no way based on/stolen from the book Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty...I haven't even read it. Speaking of which, I haven't had time to read lately! You have no idea how sad that makes me... :(

Oh yeah, Seto's in this chapter :D

Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh. What a shame.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Sloppy Firsts**

**

* * *

**

Steam escaped into the hallway as Ana opened the door of the bathroom. She hopped into the cool hallway in a tank top and shorts, savoring the feeling of the cool air on her skin. Bending over she wrapped as much of her short black hair as she could in a towel and straightened up, looking for Lilah.

"Hey, Lilah?"

Silence greeted her. Ana sighed. _She must have gone to work early to avoid me. _The whole situation with Lilah didn't bother her that much; they had gotten into arguments before and they'd all been resolved by the next evening.

Ana walked into the small kitchen and checked the calendar. It was Lilah's turn to buy groceries for the week_. I'll buy them instead, to make up, _Ana thought.

She leaned forward against the counter, staring intently at the calendar. Something was nagging her. _I feel as though I have something else to do today, but it's not on the calendar. So...what is it?_ Ana drummed her fingers on the counter top. The nagging feeling was getting stronger. _What _is_ it? No parties today, no class…OH GOD!_

She ran haphazardly into the living room, stumbling over various discarded items. She slid to a halt in front of the clock and breathed a sigh of relief.

_It's only 11 o'clock. That gives me enough time to go shopping and pick up the Kaiba kid. _ Ana sighed. She still couldn't believe how she wound up in this mess. _Oh well. As long as I don't see Kaiba, I think I can manage._

She walked back to the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal before walking to her bedroom. Once there, she went over to the dresser and grabbed a bottle of medicine. She shook the bottle until one pill tumbled into her palm. She looked at herself in the mirror. _Here's hoping I don't do anything stupid today._

* * *

Seto's fingers darted nimbly across his keyboard and his eyes flitted across the computer screen. He was right. He _did_ have to make corrections to the report his "employees" were supposed to create. Seto vaguely wondered whether he should renounce his title as CEO and just become the professional proof-reader of KaibaCorp. It seemed as though he did nothing but make corrections these days.

Frowning, he squinted to make out the words he was typing through the intense glare from the windows, but to no avail. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Seto rose from his desk chair and walked to the windows to close the blinds. He grabbed the cords, ready to yank the blinds shut and shut out the offensive rays, but decided to linger and take in the view. It was rare for Seto Kaiba to take a break (what were those, anyway?) and it was even rarer for him to stare out the window, watching the city above which he towered. His eyes trailed over Domino, stopping for brief intervals at familiar landmarks—Domino High School, the KaibaDome, and even the park.

At this, he frowned. An unpleasant memory tugged annoyingly at his consciousness. It was only yesterday, but Seto had tried everything in his power to forget the events at the park. The girl. The phone. The interrogation he faced in the limo. Seto's mind drifted to the conversation—no, cross examination—he had with Mokuba.

**//Flashback//**

Mokuba angrily clambered into the limo after his brother. No one said a word as Moore smoothly maneuvered the limo out of the parking space and began ten minute drive back to KaibaCorp. Mokuba leaned against the door with his arms folded and a relentless expression on his face. Seto saw his brother's face out of the corner of his eye. He didn't feel like answering any questions, so he kept his face blank and stared straight ahead. They had played this game several times before—one of them would be angry at the other for something and the other pretended not to notice, stopping only when one of them broke the silence.

"So."

Seto turned his head ever-so-slowly towards his brother, innocence gracing his features. "Yes?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Why did you do it?"

"What are you talking about?" Seto asked, facing front again.

"Seto, you hired a random girl—no, _thief_—from the park to be my babysitter!" Mokuba shouted.

Seto rolled his eyes. "Caretaker, Mokuba. You know as well as I that you're far too old for a babysitter. Besides, I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Gee thanks."

Seto said nothing and continued staring straight ahead. He folded his arms across his chest, indicating that the conversation between his brother and himself was over. They were close to KaibaCorp now and he couldn't wait to get his hands on the idiots who botched up his reports.

"Fine. Caretaker." Mokuba said after a minute. He didn't care if his brother was done with the conversation. _He_ wasn't. "But why a thief? That's the stupidest thing ever. You could find plenty of other _good_ people! How do you know she won't try to nick something from our _house_ this time?"

Seto frowned at being interrupted from a perfectly good daydream about what he was going to do to those imbeciles. He sighed. "If I thought you would be in any danger, I wouldn't have done it. Now enough with the twenty questions!"

Mokuba sighed resignedly and fell back against the seat. The conversation was really over this time. He turned his head to the window and watched the scenery change from trees and blue sky to the slate-grey concrete walls of KaibaCorp's executive parking area. He knew his brother would never put him in danger intentionally, _but hiring a thief is crazy! _He watched as Seto exited the vehicle lithely and marched toward the front door. Mokuba sighed again as he clambered out of the limo. He trudged toward the front door, wishing he knew why his brother did half the things he did.

**//End Flashback//**

Seto snapped out of his reverie and shook his head. There was no use in thinking about yesterday. What's done is done. He pulled on the cords and the blinds swung across its track and blocked out the sun's intense rays. Seto sat down at his desk again and stared at the computer screen. He saw line graphs indicating KaibaCorp's growth, several numbers, and lots of words. Nothing was making sense to him at this point; his concentration was broken. He ran a hand through his hair, turning his blue eyes to the desk calendar. The report was due to his accounting office at three today and with his concentration broken—Seto frowned. _Crap! I told that girl to pick up Mokuba at three fifteen! _

He picked up the phone and dialed his house, tapping his fingers impatiently against the desk as he waited.

A cool voice with a British accent answered the phone, "Kaiba Residence, how may I help you?"

"Wilson, it's me. Mokuba is going to have a visitor today…actually, for several days. Keep an eye on her, got it?"

"Ah…very well then, Mr. Kaiba." Wilson said a bit flustered.

"Good." Seto hung up the phone and rubbed his temples. _This is going to be a long day._

* * *

The afternoon sun shone brightly over Domino. A gentle wind buffeted the trees with promises of spring right around the corner. Everything was relatively calm; the people strolled about lazily as if it was summer, simply enjoying the break from cold weather.

Ana burst out of the supermarket with her arms full of merchandise and pelted down the sidewalk at top speed toward her apartment building. What she had planned to be a morning of relaxing grocery shopping turned out to be a sprint through the bread aisle, a hurdle jump over the patrons in the cereal, vegetable, and junk food aisles and a home plate slide into one of the open cash register lanes.

Ana bounded down the sidewalk trying not to drop anything while dodging the walking pedestrians. _How did it get to be 2:45 so soon? I have to be at KaibaCorp at three fifteen and I don't even know where it is!_

When she finally made it inside her apartment, she all but threw the groceries onto the counter before collapsing against the counter, breathless. _I…managed…not to drop…anything…OH GOD WHAT AM I DOING?!_ She jumped up and ran into her room, tugging her now sweaty clothes off and prying the closet door open and opting for the first pair of jeans and a T-shirt she could lay her hands on. Ana then sped out of the apartment, grabbing her keys and handbag before slamming the front door behind her.

She made it out to the side walk before she realized that she forgot the directions. _Ugh, what am I going to do now?_ She groaned inwardly and looked up at the sky, wondering why she was having so much bad luck in one day. That's when she saw it. _KaibaCorp tower! I can't believe I've never noticed it!_ It was the tallest building in Domino and dominated the city skyline.

"Kinda like its owner." She mumbled to herself. She set off towards the tall building. _I don't need directions anymore…I mean it can't be _that _hard to find the tallest building in Domino City!_

She thought wrong.

Twenty minutes later, Ana still hadn't found KaibaCorp. She had asked several people for help but they all laughed her off, taking her query as a joke. After all, who _didn't _know where KaibaCorp was? In a moment of desperation, Ana managed to snag a middle aged woman who didn't look very happy about the interruption but politely pointed Ana in the right direction.

"Thank you!" Ana said, bowing politely.

It turned out that she wasn't very far; it was just a few buildings down the street she was already on. Ana glanced at the street sign as she crossed the street and read "KaibaCorp Drive." _No wonder they all laughed at me! I was on the right street the whole time!_ Feeling sheepish Ana slowed to a walk and arrived at 575 KaibaCorp Drive with three minutes to spare.

"Wow," was all she could say when she tried to look up at the building. It stretched for miles and miles into the sky, a boundless tower of glass. Ana grinned apologetically at the people who gave her a funny look for standing in the middle of the path and finally entered the logo emblazoned glass doors. A refreshingly cool breeze greeted her upon walking in.

The lobby was furnished with a modern flair. The walls were white and the floor was carpeted in blue. The waiting area was furnished with a sleek black couch and a chunky glass table. The letters "KC" engraved into the wall directly above the couch gave the area a finishing touch.

Ana was not impressed.

_Maybe this place is supposed to scream innovation and technology, but there is nothing here that amazes me. This looks like any other office. I wish I could—_

" Are you lost?" a smooth female voice asked.

Ana turned towards the voice and saw the most flamboyant-looking woman she had ever seen. The woman looked about twenty five, had porcelain white skin tinged pink with rouge on her cheeks, very short curly blonde hair and was wearing a tight olive green dress with a metallic sheen.

"Uh…not really. I'm here to pick up—"she paused. _Uh oh. I don't know his name!_ "Seto Kaiba's little brother." She said lamely. "He's about this high…give or take." She added, gesturing.

The receptionist rolled her eyes and looked at her overly polished nails. "That's not very convincing. For all I know, you could be a kidnapper or a child molester."

"A _what_!?" Ana strode over to the receptionist's desk angrily. "Listen…" she said reading the woman's name tag before speaking again, "…Samantha, I ran here from across town because Kaiba told me to babysit his kid brother today and for all of eternity. So, if you don't mind, I'd like you to tell Mr. Kaiba that I'm here to pick up his younger brother." She added menacingly.

Samantha frowned but reached over to the phone, taking her time dialing Seto's office. "Mr. Kaiba? There's a girl here who says she's here to babysit your brother."

Ana watched impatiently as Samantha spoke for about five more seconds before jerking the phone away from her with an annoyed expression. She hung up, mumbling what sounded like "ungrateful bastard" under her breath. She looked up at Ana with a bored expression.

"He said Mokuba will be down in a minute. Why don't you go and take a seat in the waiting area? Do you want a lollipop while you wait?"

"_Excuse _me?" Ana asked. She thought she heard the silly receptionist ask her if she wanted a lollipop.

Samantha shrugged. "What? Don't kids like lollipops anymore? Here," she held one out, "take it, but don't stick it on anything."

Ana wanted to tell her where she could stick thatlollipop, but restrained herself. _It's no use trying to make enemies with people I'll never see again…wait a sec…_ Ana groaned when she realized that she'd have to deal with Samantha _every day_ she had to pick up Mokuba. She slid down the front of the desk, extremely bothered with the thought. _Ugh…kill me now_!

* * *

Thunder rumbled inside Seto Kaiba's office as the CEO tried to get his brother to comply with his orders. Seto was already behind schedule and that _never happened_, so he was not in the mood for arguing.

"Mokuba, for god's sake, just GO already!" he shouted from his desk.

"No! You can't make me!" Mokuba retorted, sticking out his tongue. He sat tensely in the chair in front of Seto's desk and gripped the armrests as if he were sinking.

"Mokuba,you sound like a two-year-old. Now, get over it before one of the body guards has to _carry_ you downstairs."

They glared at each other for a minute. Then, the younger Kaiba rolled his eyes and stood. The thought of being carried kicking and screaming through a corporate office full of adults did not appeal to him.

"Fine, but if I'm dead when you come home, I hope you feel guilty." He said bitterly, hoping to elicit _some_ sort of reaction from his brother.

Seto only smirked victoriously. "Feel free to haunt my nightmares."

* * *

Samantha chattered derisively to the girl who slumped against her desk. It wasn't often that she had visitors that stayed around long enough to talk. Ana wanted to do anything _but_ talk; she was just about ready to strangle the eccentric woman.

"…and seriously, _do_ something with that hair of yours! It looks dead enough to weave into a rug or something!" Samantha said while looking at herself in the reflection of the glass countertop.

Ana opened her mouth to make some snide comment about how the receptionist's outfit looked like it came from a rug when the glass elevator doors slid open smoothly and an unhappy Mokuba stepped out.

_Well, he looks absolutely thrilled to see me_ . Ana wiped her hands on her jeans. She was a bit nervous.

The younger Kaiba trudged slowly over to where Ana stood as if walking to his doom with his arms crossed and violet eyes ablaze with resentment. Ana ignored the chills that ran down her spine and tried to be friendly.

"Hi, I'm Ana. We met yesterday at the park." She said holding out her hand.

Mokuba looked at her hand like it was something unbearably disgusting.

Shaking off the blatant rejection and beating herself up over they way she chose to introduce herself, Ana tried again. "Uh…I'm your caretaker-"

"Babysitter."

She laughed nervously "Um, right. I'll be _that_ for...a while." She added, trying to make light of the situation.

Mokuba said nothing and began to walk to the exit.

"Hey wait! Where are you going?" Ana asked running after him.

Mokuba turned, his eyes staring dully. "My brother has a limo ready to take us to the house."

"Oh." _Of course._ "Let's go." Ana followed him. She wasn't used to kids calling all the shots. _But at least I don't have to think about taking him somewhere to keep him occupied._

The black stretch limo was parked in the front. A middle aged man in a crisp black suit and cap stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the door for Ana and Mokuba. Smiling her thanks and earning a wink from the chauffer, Ana slid into the backseat next to her young charge. _A limo and a chauffer? Just how rich _are _they?_ She cursed herself for not knowing more about Kaiba's socio-economic standing.

The drive to the Kaibas' home was silent and tense. Ana occasionally stole glances at Mokuba, trying to catch his eye and…_and what? Make a funny face? The kid hates me!_ She sighed and slumped in her seat, holding onto her bag for comfort.

She closed her eyes. She was incredibly nervous about taking care _no—babysitting_ Mokuba. After all, she had tried to snag his brother's phone just the day before. The thought of the elder Kaiba raised a wave of dislike. _Ugh. I still can't believe I'm in this mess! How did he manage to manipulate me into babysitting his brother?_ Yet, although she was angry with the fact that Kaiba tricked her into watching his brother (for no fee), she was grateful that he _hadn't_ gone to the police and turned her in like he probably should have.

The limo began to slow down. Ana opened her eyes and was shocked to see the biggest mansion she had ever laid eyes upon. _I _really _need to do some research on Seto Kaiba now. _After parking in the driveway (which was more like a small street, Ana noticed), the chauffer came around and opened the door for the passengers, who clambered out of the back of the vehicle.

Ana stood there for a second, staring at the sheer _size _of the house openmouthed.

"_Ahem._"

She looked over at Mokuba. "Sorry…"

He rolled his eyes. "This way."

Ana followed the raven-haired boy into his house, marveling at how the inside seemed just as magnificent as the outside. "You have a great house!" she couldn't help but gush once they had stepped into the foyer. Her voice echoed throughout the room.

Mokuba turned and gave her the same dull stare from before. "Are you going to try and steal this too?"

Ana gaped at him. "Wh…what? Steal your house?" _Did he just—did he really?_ Then, much to her own surprise, she began laughing. Mokuba looked at her with curiosity and reservation. "Steal your house? You're silly," she laughed, "it's too big!" _Thank God my meds are working…_

The corners of Mokuba's mouth twitched and he instantly slapped a hand over it. He turned and gestured, "I do my homework in the study. It's this way."

Mokuba's little hiding game did not go unnoticed. _So he's easily amused. Cute._ She smiled, trying to think of other ways she could get little Kaiba to come out of his shell. She began following Mokuba, but felt as if she was being…_watched_. She turned around and found herself face to face with a person who looked as though he could be the butler. _Geez._

"Um…I'm sorry." She mumbled, taking her leave again.

"Mister Kaiba has sent you instructions." The butler said regally, holding out a sheet of paper. She stopped in her tracks and turned. _Instructions, huh?_ She walked to the tall man and took the note from his hand. It was written in plain font on powder blue KaibaCorp letterhead. She began to read:

_Mokuba is to do his homework until it's finished and you are to assist him with whatever he needs. If he completes it, entertain him with whatever is available at the house. I'll be there by then._

Seto Kaiba, CEO KaibaCorp

P.S_. Do yourself a favor and don't steal anything._

Her face grew hot as she read the last line and she felt the eyes of the butler boring into her head, full of suspicion. She turned around and found several maids standing on the grand staircase staring at her with narrowed eyes while folding some white linen sheets. _I'm under surveillance? SURVEILLANCE?! What am I, a criminal? _Ana normally would have laughed, if not for the circumstances.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, _sir_. I'll do my best to keep my hands to myself." She said before turning on heel and walking to Mokuba, who waited for her by the study's door. She entered and found a spacious room lit with fluorescent lights. Light blue curtains draped over huge glass windows which spanned across three of the off-white walls of the study. On the left side of the room was a computer that seemed to be decked out with the latest technology. In the middle of the room was a long black table surrounded by several cushy black swivel chairs. Mokuba settled into the chair that faced the doorway and watched as Ana sunk into the chair in front of him, clearly awestruck.

"I wish I had a room like this."

Mokuba said nothing and began to take books and papers out of the desk drawers.

"If you need any help, ask me." Ana said to him, "I'm not a genius or anything, but I'll try to help you if you need it."

Mokuba nodded shortly before starting his work. Ana watched him for a while, but became bored after ten minutes. She sighed, looking around the beautifully furnished room. Finding nothing interesting, she watched the young Kaiba once more. _He's adorable!_ His stunning violet eyes and long lashes and even longer raven tresses were gorgeous and gave the boy a mysterious and exotic look.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Ana reached into her bag and pulled out the sketchbook she always carried with her. _I have to draw him! He's perfect!_ She began sketching the lines and curves, occasionally glancing up to look at her subject. Ana lost herself in sketching Mokuba. She was so into drawing that she didn't hear Mokuba clear his throat.

He tried again. "Um…Is that me?" he asked softly.

Ana looked up and found Mokuba standing next to her, gaping at his portrait. She too looked at her drawing. It was just a rough sketch, but was coming out better than she expected. "Yeah, do you like it?" she asked excitedly.

Mokuba nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Are you an artist?" The boy's eyes had lit up with an excited glow that was absent before.

Ana shrugged. "Sort of. It's just something I do for fun when I have time." She smiled and took this opportunity to get to know the boy a little better. "So what do _you_ do for fun?"

"Play videogames and read and stuff." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. Ana was disappointed. _He's closed himself off again._

"That's pretty cool," she said helpfully An awkward silence fell around them.

"Have you finished your homework?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I couldn't figure out a math problem."

Relieved that she could do something besides question him awkwardly, she stood and walked around the table to where Mokuba's notebook lay.

Fifteen minutes of staring at the math problem gave her a headache. Ana grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Mokuba, math wasn't one of my best subjects."

Mokuba shrugged. "I'll ask Seto when he comes home." It was funny watching the stranger trying to figure out the math problem. She made all sorts of funny faces and gestures, and it was hard trying not to laugh at her. She was kind of funny and pretty nice. Mokuba shook his head. _I am not warming up to the enemy!_ Still…it was hard not to like her just a little bit.

"Sooo, what do you do when you finish your homework?" Ana asked cheerily.

"Play a video game, I guess." Mokuba replied. "You can play if you want." he added a little shyly. "Let's go." He began to walk to the door.

Ana stood and began to follow him when she heard the front door slam. Mokuba suddenly stopped and turned to her with a jubilant smile. "Seto's home!" He pelted out of the room, Ana following him, amused. She watched as Mokuba greeted Seto with a huge hug across the middle. Seto merely patted the boy on the head, but the affection was still evident in his small smile.

Cold blue eyes locked onto amber and the warm feeling was gone.

"You." He stated coldly. "I see you came after all."

Ana crossed her arms. "Yeah, well you made the offer _so_ tempting, so it was hard to say no. Or," she put a finger to her chin in mock-thought. "Was it the blackmail? I can't seem to remember."

"Hn." His eyes flicked over her once before looking at Mokuba. "She didn't try to steal anything, did she, Mokuba?"

"Nope! I watched her like a hawk!" Mokuba said, grinning up at his brother.

Ana did one of those anime falls. _That little-!_ "Hey!" she cried out, a little bit hurt.

Mokuba grinned mockingly.

"Whatever happened to trusting people?" she wondered out loud.

Seto smirked. "Well, given the circumstances of our first encounter, trust seems to be out of the question. Did you forget what happened yesterday? Let me remind you—"

"Ugh! You infuriating bastard!" she shouted stamping a foot.

Silence fell.

No one moved.

Seto's smirk was gone and his face became expressionless. His eyes had a steely glint.

"Miss Taylor," he began in a quiet but dangerous voice, "I do _not _want to hear you shout profanities around my brother while you are in _my_ household, understand? And although you may not be an official employee of mine, do remember that I hold the key to your cell in prison. Yes, _prison_." He added upon seeing her expression cloud over. "It would be best not to forget that."

Ana was shocked but decided to send _Mister_ Kaiba a venomous glare. She was embarrassed at how quickly he had backed her into a corner. _Oh I cannot _wait_ to get back at this jerk!_

"If you're done," Seto said, holding open the door.

Growling under her breath she picked up her bag and walked to the door with long, angry strides. Giving Seto one last glare, she stepped over the threshold. She had an idea.

"Mr. Kaiba," she began in a quiet voice. Seto glared at her. "I just want you to know that I AM GOING TO WIPE THAT STUPID SMIRK RIGHT OFF YOUR FACE! JUST WATCH ME YOU POMPOUS MUTHAFUCKING JACKASS!"

Seto promptly slammed the door in her face.

Ana stumbled back a little and stared at the door, a little surprised at herself. She had never been that rude to someone before. Then she laughed...and laughed. She had loved the stony expression on Kaiba's face! _ What a mix of confusion and hate! I could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears. What I would give to be able to draw that!_ She ran from the Kaiba household before he could stick his security team on her, looking for a bus and laughing all the while.

* * *

_Laughing? LAUGHING?! Did she think that was supposed to be _funny?! Seto put a hand over his face. This girl was going to be a lot of trouble.

Mokuba cleared his throat. "Um. I think you made her mad."

Seto straightened up. "She's a lunatic."

"Still, you didn't have to be _that_ mean." Mokuba said crossly.

Seto stared at his brother incredulously. "And here I thought you hated her. Why do _you_ care?"

The boy shrugged and tried to change the subject. "Anyway, she's a really good artist. She drew a cool picture of me!"

Seto scoffed and began taking off his coat. A maid appeared to take the coat from the young CEO. "Did she steal the paper she was drawing on?"

"…no, but it was really good! You should have seen it!"

Seto said nothing and picked up his briefcase and began ascending the grand staircase. "Don't get too attached to this girl—"

"Ana."

"Whatever. She's psychotic and something tells me that she may not be your care—"

"Babysitter." Seto glared at his brother. "…for much longer." He continued up the flight of stairs. _Not if I can help it._

_

* * *

_A/N: Mehehehe. Review please!


End file.
